1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic video game device, specifically to an interactive system using a programmed digital computer for playing bingo with special game playing features.
2. Background of the Art
Bingo is a popular game enjoyed by many people of all ages throughout the world. It is a favorite pastime and one of the most commonly used games for raising funds by various organized groups such as schools, churches and other non-profit organizations. Bingo has also achieved a unique position in the gaming community as a game with a large participating player group. Bingo provides excitement and entertainment to players and enthusiasts, and it is a simple game to understand and play, with players understanding that in parlor or game room bingo, there must always be an eventual winner, which makes the game interesting and attractive to many people.
In the common or traditional version of playing bingo, one or more persons is required to provide the following functions: operate a ball drawing device, select a ball, read and announce the ball""s number, show the ball or operate a display apparatus which displays the ball""s number, record the selected number, validate a winning card, verify and check the numbers, and finally award a winner. These operator functions are discussed in greater detail below.
The basic elements of a more modernized bingo game may include the following:
(a) pseudo-random number generator or drawing device;
(b) bingo cards;
(c) display apparatus;
(d) audio system;
(e) card validation and verification device; and
(f) operator and caller.
The equipment still being used today by large bingo operators to draw numbers is a lot machine or blower unit (i.e., blowing air supporting and moving balls with numbers in a random manner within a selection tank). This blower unit is a large plastic or glass container with Ping-Pong type balls or light plastic balls placed inside the container. Each ball is marked with a number from 1 to 75 (or 1 to 90) and the corresponding bingo letter (e.g., B-1, I-17, etc.). Forced air (e.g., produced by an electric fan) blows the balls to mix them and an operator or an automated selection device draws a ball at random through an opening. The operator will then read the number on the ball and announce the number. The operator or caller has to shout out loudly and clearly so that the players can understand each call. In large bingo halls, an audio amplifier and loud speaker system are used to make this possible. Additionally, in larger bingo parlors, a board is provided on which the numbers drawn are displayed on a board for view by the entire playing audience.
In most homes the drawing device used is a small plastic container with an opening, similar to the one mentioned above. Small balls or chips, each marked with a number and the corresponding bingo letter, are put inside the container. The balls are mixed together manually by shaking or rotating the container. An operator provides a number by drawing out a ball through the opening, one at a time, using his hands. Similarly, the operator will read the number and announce the number to the players.
The use of such mechanical devices is awkward, inconvenient and cumbersome. Several patented devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,063 (1978) issued to Cooper, et. al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,395 (1993) issued to Lovell, still largely depend upon the conventional system of drawing numbers. Another serious disadvantage with these mechanical devices is that an operator can defeat the devices by easily manipulating or tampering with the balls or numbers. This could be performed collusively to some particular player""s advantage, thus making the game unfair to other players. Since these mechanical devices depend largely on an individual to operate them, these are not reliable from security standpoint.
The standard bingo cards are made of sheets of paper or cardboard on which the numbers are pre-printed. Players use daubers, ink markers, chips or other things to mark or cover the numbers that are called. An example of this is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,146 (1992) by Greer; which is an improved multiple bingo game sheet. Most standard bingo cards are reusable while others are disposable. Several electronic bingo cards or hand held bingo calculators have been made, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,940 (1983) by Gluz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,157 (1984) by Bolan; U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,906 (1987) by Di Francesco et. al. and those patent issued to John Richardson: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,747,600 (1988); 4,798,387 (1989); and 5,072,381 (1992). These electronic aids allow a single player to manage and play more cards better than using the conventional bingo cards. However, these devices relate only to bingo cards and have no provision for pseudo-random selection of numbers for the game.
The purpose of a display apparatus is to display several items or individual images or pieces of numerical information to the players such as the game number, the last number called, a record of numbers drawn, and the count of numbers called. Other display apparatus also shows the winning game pattern to be formed for a particular game. The apparatus still commonly used today consists of a plurality of display boards all connected to a master controller board. A separate display board is used for each numerical information. One of this type of display apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,063 (1980) issued to Cooper et. al. The masterboard is a console which includes numbered apertures at the top where Ping-Pong balls are placed. Beneath each aperture is a ball-actuated electrical switch which is turned on whenever a ball is present. The switches operate a display board or flashboard consisting of a plurality of lights with each light illuminating a number. Lovell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,395 (1993), made an improvement to the masterboard using light beams with electronic encoding and an LED display board. Both of these references relate only to display apparatus and display only the numbers that are called. Moreover, these apparatus rely on a ball drawing device and depend on an operator to operate both. Such apparatus will be separate, thus, the game requires additional equipment.
Other display apparatus employs a combination of a video camera and a video monitor. The camera is focused on the last ball drawn and the image is displayed on the video monitor. This arrangement is expensive, and displays the last number drawn only.
Another device that is useful in a large bingo hall is audio equipment. The voice of an operator or caller over a loud speaker system is still commonly used today. The announcement by the operator is sometimes not clear enough to be understood by all the players. It should be noted here that the use of an audio synthesizer or electronic sound generator for this purpose is still not popular today.
When the word xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d is called by a player to declare a win, there is a need to validate the winning card and verify the numbers in the card in accordance with a predetermined winning pattern. This validation process checks a card if it is entered in a game or not. The most common procedure is to do the validation and checking manually by the operator or a third person. However, some electronic devices have been made to do the validation automatically. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,787 (1991) issued to Richardson. This validation system requires a plurality of electronic bingo cards, each in communication with a base station or master control board, to be entered manually by the operator before the game starts. Since homes are not so equipped, the practical use of this validation device is limited. This device is used only by large operators and casinos. It is not applicable for home or private use and most household consumers cannot afford it.
Several other electronic devices have been made to automate the playing of bingo games but each has one or more disadvantages; or its application is limited. One of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,830 (1978) issued to Buckley describing a computerized bingo apparatus. This includes an old design to generate pseudo-random numbers and two separate display boards. These display boards show only two items of numerical information; that is, the last number generated and the list of numbers called. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,787 (1989) to Itkis, describes an electronic game playing system capable of simultaneously playing poker, keno and bingo. U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,511 (1982) issued to Jullien of Canada describes an electronic bingo system. This is basically a masterboard which still uses Ping-Pong balls to turn on switches. The display board, located at a remote location, is connected to the masterboard by several long cables. This display board contains a plurality of lamps with each lamp illuminating a number. A second LED display shows only the last number drawn. This system is intended for use in large bingo halls. In a similar vein is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,395 (1993) to Lovell, which requires an operator to randomly draw balls and place these into a nest which senses the presence of a ball and causes the display of the ball""s number. Another electronic bingo game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,389 (1982) issued to Loyd, et. al. in which a claim to a late bingo can be recalled and verified. It employs five separate display units to show all the numerical information and game pattern required.
A U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,163 (1993) issued to Fulton describes a casino game system for playing bingo and other games within the casino. This system uses electronic cards which are in communication with the casino gaming devices and in turn are electrically connected to a master control station. It is a system that allows a casino player to play at a remote location in the casino. Since most places are not so equipped other than the casino, this system is to be used exclusively in casinos. Another automated bingo System is U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,802 (1993) issued to Pocock et. al. of Canada. This system is a television show which allows a television viewer to play bingo with other viewers. The viewers join the game and place bets by using a touch-tone phone for entering data. One disadvantage of this system is that the viewer is not actually playing a game of bingo, but merely watching and waiting until the game ends. Winners are informed of their winnings through an automatic telephone dialing system. It is a system of mass audience participation and its application is limited to a television game show.
In general, each of the references described herein has one or more of the following disadvantages:
(a) they require use of a mechanical apparatus or a manually operated device for drawing numbers at random;
(b) they depend largely on an individual to operate the device and announce the number;
(c) they require use of a loud speaker system;
(d) they use of one or more display units connected to a master board by means of long cables;
(e) the system or device is often not practical for home use or by small groups of players;
(f) they represent a considerable expense and are largely unaffordable to a household consumer; and
(g) they do not provide the player with any game information except for the outcome of the game being played.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,631 describes electronic gaming equipment that is applicable mainly for home use, but not limited thereto, which could facilitate the playing of bingo and eliminate most of the manual operating functions. This is accomplished by employing a conventional computer and a standard home television set. The television set is used to provide several Bingo game functions, as a single multi-display apparatus and to announce the numbers. The principal object of that invention is to provide an electronic bingo game device that can be adapted to a standard home television set, and eliminate the need for a dedicated separate display apparatus, the human caller, and additional audio equipment.
The advent of video gaming equipment, particularly computer memory driven video games has added dramatic improvements and variety to games played in casinos. Mechanical bingo games have been known for a long period of time, as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,963, that apparatus being truly mechanical rather than electronic. U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,649 describes an electronic gaming apparatus in which a number of different players may interact in the play of a single game, including bingo.
In spite of the great potential for variations in games, including bingo, in electronic gaming systems, the industry has not yet taken full advantage of the versatility in the games that is available on electronic equipment. It is of course desirable and advantageous to take advantage of the full ability of electronic systems to play games that could not be easily played in manual or mechanical systems. This variety in gaming play is particularly important in the industry where it is recognized that games tend to have a more limited durability of play, with players seeking additional entertainment value or perceived advantage in the play of differing games.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,140 describes a video poker game in which a player is dealt two distinct poker hands and may elect one hand or the other to play, and the other hand is voided. The non-elected hand is erased from the screen and the normal play of a game of poker is continued with the elected hand.
Numerous video games and live casino games include multiple decks in the play of a game, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,042,818; 5,803,808; and 5,615,888 in which a single game is played, but the cards are selected from multiple decks.
A Bingo-Type game, herein referred to as xe2x80x9cMini-Bingoxe2x80x9d is in the public domain. In that Mini-Bingo game, a player attempts to draw numbers (e.g., xe2x80x9cBingo Ballsxe2x80x9d) that correspond to numbers on a displayed card. The game provides a video game player with a single bingo card comprising (for example) a 3xc3x973 bingo card, with (for example) seven different numbers available for each column of 3 in the card. A variety of different payouts (shown in FIGS. 1A-1L) is available to the player. A random set of numbers (e.g., at least 3 and usually at most six) is selected from among the 21 (3 times 7) numbers available for the bingo card, and payouts are provided for obtaining any of the specific payout lines allowed in the play of the game. Ordinarily, squares in the first column are randomly populated with numbers from a set of numbers (e.g., 1, 2 . . . 7). Squares in the second column are randomly populated (except for possibly the center square with a xe2x80x98free spacexe2x80x99) with numbers from a second set of numbers )(e.g., 8, 9 . . . 14. Squares in the third column are randomly populated with numbers from a set of numbers (e.g., 15, 16 . . . 21). After depositing from, for example, 1 to 5 coins, the player may select a bingo card or accept a displayed (on the video screen) bingo card (e.g., a previously played bingo card or a new randomly provided bingo card). If a new card is desired, a xe2x80x98new cardxe2x80x99 button is pressed from the keyboard on the device. When satisfied with the bingo card, the player hits the Deal/Draw button, which begins a sequence of displaying the drawn bingo balls, usually five numbers. As the bingo balls and numbers are drawn, the appropriate (matched) squares on the bingo card of the player display a color change to indicate a match. The bingo card is evaluated by the software and, if appropriate, a payout is made according to the payout table.
There is still a wide variety of novel games and formats that are available in the play of Bingo-Type games that have not been described or played.
The present invention provides for a video variant of Bingo in which the player is provided with a multiple number (greater than one, including but not limited to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) of Bingo Cards on the video screen. The Player may elect to play one or more of the cards displayed on the screen. At least some of the various cards, even if not in elected play by the player, remain on the screen during the play of the elected cards. The player may play the same amount or different amounts on the individual cards selected, and play of the card is based upon the same bingo balls drawn.